Cortez pro supercross rider claims 4th checkered flag of 2013 season

Eli Tomac catches air at Chase Field in Phoenix on Jan. 12, as he rides his Honda CRF250 to a Monster Energy Supercross Western Regional 250 Class win. Tomac won for the fourth time this season Feb. 9, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The Cortez native currently sits in second-place of the 250SX West standings.

Eli Tomac made personal history two years ago at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Cortez native won his first professional American Motorcyclist Association 250 Supercross race in the San Diego rain.

Last year?

Not so much.

Tomac crashed his CRF250 and did not finish at Qualcomm. It was a devastating way to head into the 2012 break. Tomac had lost the Monster Energy Western Regional 250SX points lead and was forced to park his dirt bike aside during the 2-month break. Tomac had to rehabilitate a chipped right elbow through physical therapy.

But like a champion, Tomac, riding for GEICO Honda, returned from the break to win the 2012 SX Lites West title.

This season, Tomac, now 20, remains second in 250SX season standings.

However, Qualcomm 2013 was different.

Tomac grabbed the lead on Lap 4 and later held off points leader Ken Roczen (Red Bull KTM's) in the final turn to win his fourth race of the season.

Tomac has won the most 250SX West races this year, but still trails Roczen in the standings, 138-121. But Tomac definitely feels much better at this point in the season than he did a year ago.

"This was the best way to go into the break," Tomac told amasupercross.com. "It was an awesome race out there and a good track. It was a little close in the end, but it was a fun race. This place (Qualcomm Stadium) has been hot and cold for me. I won here in 2011, got a DNF last year, and now won here again. We'll go into the break with some confidence."

The 250SX series shifts eastward for more than two months before returning west at Quest Field in Seattle, Wash., on April 20.

The season finale is the following week on April 27, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Monday, March 30

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